Custom Push Dagger

If you need a decoration piece or a prop for a costume then why not make it custom? With this instructable, you can do just that and finish it with a nice looking push dagger for all your cosplaying needs.

([DISCLAIMER] I am not liable for any injury you may sustain while attempting to follow this instructable. Any damage to materials or tools are faulted by the person, to which I am not responsible or accounting for. Do not use this as a weapon for harm or injury. Do not harm others and animals, as well as yourself. If any injury is caused by this project, I am not responsible for it.)

Right, let’s go then!

Step 1: Materials

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To make at least the foundation of a push dagger:

Materials

Metal (any kind will do, I used sheet metal myself)

Wood (make sure it the grain goes one way and not planked)

Dowels (optional)

Paint or Varnish

Paper

Glue/Epoxy

Tools

Cutting Disc/Angle Grinder (or a Dremel)

Hammer

Marker

Grinder (or sandpaper and files

Scissors

Saw

Drill

And then there’s the safety stuff:

Gloves

Goggles

Dust Mask

Step 2: Templates

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First off, design your dagger.

Use your marker and start drawing your templates. You can make multiple and save them for another day but keep the original templates that you put into use just in case you mess up.

Once you’re happy with what you’ve got trace it onto your metal and proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Profiling

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[///SAFETY/// Wear your goggles and gloves as well as respiratory protection. Employ safe cutting skills and approach this step with caution.]

Secure your design and begin cutting it out with the cutting disc. Don’t worry about going too precise as a basic shape shall be fine until you get to the shaping.

If your blade is defined and free from the rest of the metal then head to the grinder to bring it to it’s final shape. You can also use files and sandpaper, but I’d wait till later.

Step 4: Attaching Handles

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Take only the handle of the dagger and measure it against your wood. Use your marker to draw the handle onto the wood and start cutting the shape out first and then in half, yielding you two sides of a handle.

Put all pieces together and align them the way you want. Now, you can do either two things:

Doweling

Mark and drill holes through each and every piece, making sure that the holes diameter is slightly larger than your dowels. Paste glue into the holes (and on the inside) and the dowels before hammering them into position. Clamp overnight for best results.

Gluing

Simply glue all pieces together and clamp down overnight. Really simple but less secure.

Start to cut and sand the handle to a nice, smooth shape before moving onto the next step.

Step 5: Cleaning Up

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Now’s the time to finalize everything; shape, colour etc.

Start with the handle. Is it smooth? Is it ergonomic? Add colour with varnish or paint or even move onto an engraver to personalize it even more.

The blade. Does it have the finish you want? Is it too rugged? Add creative grooves or, again, use an engraver to make it way more elegant.

I wanted the birch/oak type of colour and a rough forged look. I went over with a scalpel on the handle to make it seem carved and rustic before smoothing the edges out with small files and sandpaper. For the blade, I polished and filed away any non-shiny areas before finally hammering it to get that ‘rough forged look’ I was talking about. I then engraved two stems along the blade, meeting at the tapered point. I was really happy with it but you can design your own, hopefully you have all this way!

Step 6: Finished!

And that’s it! Start a collection or create a character around it, or just simply give it as a decorative gift! Enjoy!

[{NOTE} Please don’t use this as a weapon. It is intended for decorative use only.]